CMV presents a serious concern in HIV+ persons

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common viral infection than affects people of all ages, and more than half of all adults ages 40 years and older carry the disease. Once infected, a person carries the virus for life, primarily without any symptoms. However, in those with a weakened immune system, dormant CMV can reactivate and may cause severe complications. 

GlobalData epidemiologists estimate that there were more than 1.8 million prevalent cases of HIV in the 7MM in 2017, and more than 3,700 incident cases of symptomatic CMV. The US accounted for the majority of HIV and HIV-CMV cases in the 7MM, largely due to the number of prevalent HIV cases in the US along with the US having a significantly higher incidence rate of HIV-CMV (0.83 cases per 100,000 population) than any other market.

CMV is one of the most common opportunistic infections in persons with HIV. Depending on the population, CMV disease can present as end-organ disease (infection and symptoms in the lung, gastrointestinal tract, liver, retina, or other organs), CMV syndrome (fever, fatigue, leukopenia, and/or thrombocytosis), or congenital CMV (symptoms ranging from mild manifestations to premature birth and neurologic sequelae). If left untreated in persons with compromised immune systems, these symptoms can cause serious morbidity and potentially death. Luckily, treatment for CMV is effective and widely available.